Do the Building Society Association intend to launch a searchable register to list solicitors on the Norwich and Peterborough Building Society conveyancing panel for instance in Castle Vale?

We are not aware of any plans on the part of the BSA to promote such a tool.

My father advised me that in purchasing a property in Castle Vale there may be various restrictions prohibiting external alterations to a property. Is this right?

We are aware of a number of properties in Castle Vale which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to carry out external variations. Part of the conveyancing in Castle Vale should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.

Is it the case that all Castle Vale CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors are on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing list of approved practices?

A selection of lenders now use CQS as the kick off point for Panel membership such as HSBC and Santander. The Law Society’s CQS accreditation however gives no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. That being said,the CML have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for solicitors wishing to remain on their approved list of conveyancing solicitors.

I am buying a property in Castle Vale. One unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Nottingham have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?

Given that your lender is Nottingham your lawyer must check the formal instructions set out in Part 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Nottingham. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook contains minimum provisions for solar panel roof-space leases, and lawyers are required to report to Nottingham where a lease does not meet these provisions. The specifications relate to the installation of panels on properties in England and Wales and is not restricted to Castle Vale.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up during conveyancing in Castle Vale?

Restrictive covenants can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the process of conveyancing in Castle Vale. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’

I am looking into buying my first house which is in Castle Vale and I am already nervous. I couldn't find anything specific about Castle Vale. Conveyancing will be needed in due course but do you know about the Castle Vale area? or perhaps some other tips you can share?

Rather than looking online forget looking online you should go and have a look at Castle Vale. In the meantime here are some basic statistics that we found

Completion is due on our sale of a £425,000 maisonette in Castle Vale next week. The management company has quoted £324 for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and previous years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge such fees for a leasehold conveyance in Castle Vale?

Castle Vale conveyancing on leasehold apartments usually necessitates fees being raised by landlords agents :

Addressing pre-contract enquiries Where consent is required before sale in Castle Vale Supplying insurance information Deeds of covenant upon sale Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your conveyancer will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Castle Vale leasehold property is £350. For Castle Vale conveyancing transactions it is customary for the seller to pay for these costs. The landlord or their agents are under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be willing to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices where the fees bear little relation to the work involved. Unfortunately there is no law that requires fixed charges for administrative tasks. Neither is there any legal time frame by which they are required to supply the information.

I acquired a studio flat in Castle Vale, conveyancing formalities finalised half a dozen years ago. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Equivalent properties in Castle Vale with over 90 years remaining are worth £202,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 invoiced every year. The lease expires on 21st October 2078

With only 56 years left to run the likely cost is going to be between £29,500 and £34,000 plus professional fees.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to provide a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.